Advanced NICU Care Collaboration Launches in Los Angeles

Adventist Health White Memorial and Rady Children's Health Orange County (Rady Children's) launched a neonatal collaboration on July 1, 2026, to elevate advanced newborn care for families in the heart of Los Angeles.

The collaboration brings Rady Children's specialized neonatal expertise together with Adventist Health White Memorial's well-established maternity, newborn and neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) teams, strengthening a key pillar of the hospital's women's and children's services. By connecting the hospital's busy maternity program with Rady Children’s advanced neonatal intensive care expertise, the collaboration supports an enhanced continuum of care for mothers, newborns, and families.

A Level III NICU provides advanced care for newborns who are born very premature, critically ill, medically fragile, in need of breathing support, intensive monitoring, or specialized treatment. Adventist Health White Memorial's NICU has been a vital part of the hospital's women's and children's services since opening in 1978, caring for generations of newborns and families in Los Angeles. Through this collaboration, the hospital builds upon that proud legacy by pairing its experienced NICU team with Rady Children's neonatal expertise to further strengthen advanced newborn care.

Rady Children's neonatologists now provide 24-hour physician coverage and medical direction for Adventist Health White Memorial's Level III NICU and newborn services. Working alongside the hospital's physicians, nurses and care teams, they also support quality and safety, multidisciplinary alignment and the continued growth of neonatal services.

Dr. Grant Shafer, a board-certified neonatologist and physician-scientist at Rady Children's, serves as medical director for the program. An expert in neonatal quality improvement and patient safety, he has held national leadership roles with the American Academy of Pediatrics and Vermont Oxford Network.

"When parents choose us for their newborn’s care, they are entrusting our clinical team at one of the most important moments of their lives," said Daniel Fontoura, president of Adventist Health White Memorial. "This partnership reinforces that trust by pairing our dedicated NICU, maternity and newborn care teams with the distinguished neonatal expertise of Rady Children's. Together, we are elevating the capabilities of our NICU, enhancing care for fragile infants, and giving families greater confidence that advanced newborn care is available close to home."

For more than 60 years, Rady Children's has partnered with community hospitals throughout Southern California to bring specialized expertise closer to where families live. Today, that commitment has grown into one of the state's largest neonatal networks, encompassing 334 licensed neonatal beds and supporting more than 102,000 neonatal patient days each year.

"Every family deserves the very best beginning for their child. We're honored to work alongside Adventist Health White Memorial, combining the depth of our neonatal experience with their exceptional care teams. Together, we're creating new opportunities to care for children and families across the Los Angeles region," said Kim Milstien, Rady Children's executive vice president and regional president, Orange County.

Together, the organizations will focus on advancing evidence-based neonatal care, strengthening quality and safety practices, supporting multidisciplinary teamwork, and enhancing the family experience during some of the most vulnerable moments in a newborn's life.